


Now I’m everyone; it’s less than I’ve every been.

by Glitzkit



Category: The Incredibles (2004)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-08
Updated: 2012-02-08
Packaged: 2017-10-30 19:12:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/335130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glitzkit/pseuds/Glitzkit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first couple years after the ban is passed are the hardest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Now I’m everyone; it’s less than I’ve every been.

No matter where he goes, Bob can here the screams for help, the pleas ringing through his skull. His body tenses and he has to resist the urge to dash off and _help_. Instead of just letting the event happen.

 

But he can't. No matter how much he wishes it so, no matter how much wants things to go his way, they won't let him. _The people won't let him_.

 

So he tries to ignore it.

 

Tries to ignore everything going on around him; ignores people walking out of alleys with their faces messed up and belongings missing. Ignores all the crimes going on because he knows that if tries to _help_ , his cover will be blown and his small family will have to leave their life, because he just can't _turn_ his strength off. He never could.

 

That was before, he has to remind himself, that was before it was a crime to let out the worst of the strength, let his muscles relax and not have to restrain himself anymore. When normal people have to exert themselves to pick up something heavy; he doesn't even think about. Picking up a car is a twitch, a small spasm of movement along his body, but opening a door is a constant mental struggle to keep things in check and to make sure he doesn't take it off its hinges.

 

Sometimes he wonders; what could they do? If he really decided to get back to being a superhero; who could stop him? He's stronger than any army they have; can resist anything they throw at him, secret identity or not.

 

But then, he comes home one day to his too small house and sees his wife, smiling a smile he hasn't seen since before the ban, saying that they are going to have a _baby_ and Bob knows that he can't ever leave her, leave their child.

 

So he stays quiet and everything begins to go grey. Building by building; person by person.  His daughter is born and life is still so _dull_ , the meaning of things being to blur together.

 

Then Violet bends the world around her and disappears.

 

 

Violet’s powers protect and hide her in a way that Bob will never be able to, and he knows she will be able to protect his family when he finally fails to.

 

When Dash is born, he wonders for a moment if he will have powers as well, or if he will be the only normal one in the family. Then he starts moving and Bob tucks that fear away for another day.

 

Bob knows it won’t take long for his young son to become faster, to build up a tolerance to the extreme speeds and start racing the speed of light.

 

Knows it won’t take long for him to win.

 

And for a moment he can’t help but hate everyone, hate them until he his chest hurts and he wants to destroy something. He wants his children to show the world their strengths and now they won’t ever be able to and they will have to hide something that makes them incredible.  It’s a swift punch to his gut and leaves him breathless for a moment; makes it feel like the first few days after this living hell began.

 

He adjusts, though, like he knew he would. Their third child is born and everything goes back to normal when he doesn’t show signs of powers.

 

His world begins to dim again, and something very quietly breaks in him, and all Bob can do is just watch as everyone but him seems to be able to let go.


End file.
